File follower block



Sept. 28, 1954 H. c. BEHRENS ETAL FILE FOLLOWER BLOCK Filed Sept. 30, 1950 nvcutors Herberi CBe/zrelzs y Bu CarlBGraber QQW if @915 Gttorncgs Patenlzed Sept. 28, 1954 FIL FOLLOWER BLOCK Herbert G. Behrens, Canton, and Carl D. Graber,

Orr-ville, Ohio, assignors to Diebold, Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 30, 1950, Serial No. 187,810

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates generally to filing drawers, and more particularly to a follower used in a filing drawer for backing up a pack of cards or papers of less number than is required to fill the drawer.

Sheet metal filing drawers of conventional construction have side walls substantially lower than the end walls, and the side walls are provided along their upper edges with inwardly downturned lip flanges spaced slightly inwardly of the side walls.

Certain prior follower block constructions for these filing drawers have included a transverse plate resting on the bottom wall of the drawer and having upturned flanges at its ends for being inserted under the lip flanges along the sides of the drawer. Partial rotation of a handle mounted on the back of the follower moves a pair of crank ends into engagement with the top edges of the lip flanges and locks the follower thereto.

A serious disadvantage with such prior construction is that any rearward pressure on the follower block, normally caused by the cards in front of the follower block or by the operator pressing thereon, tends to reversely rotate and cause loosening of the cranks which engage and lock the follower to the sides of the drawer. Another disadvantage is that the cranks move into frictional engagement with the top exterior surfaces of the lip flanges, and scrape the paint therefrom or otherwise mar their appearance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved follower block having novel means positively locking the block at any. desired position longitudinally in a filing drawer.

Another object is to provide an improved follower block which has novel locking means caused to be tightened by rearward pressure on the follower block.

A further object is to provide an improved follower block which has novel locking cams engaging under the lip flanges of the drawer so as not to mar the exterior surfaces thereof.

A still further object is to provide a novel and improved follower block which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely easy to operate for positively looking a follower in any desired position along the entire length of the drawer.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, improvements, combinations and constructions comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the specification as exemplifying the best known 2 mode of carrying out the invention, the nature of the invention being set forth in the following general statement, and the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claim.

In general terms, the file follower block of the present invention includes a center plate for fitting transversely between the sides of a filing drawer, said plate having angular wings at its ends with abutment flanges extending outwardly therefrom for resting on the lip flanges along the top side edges of the drawer, there being a transversely extending locking bar mounted for axial rotation on said center plate and having angular cam members for being rotated under said lip flanges to look their upper portions against said abutment flanges.

Referring to the drawing forming part hereof in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example;

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing one of the improved follower blocks positioned in a filing drawer of conventional construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transversed sectional view thereof looking toward the rear of the follower block;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view as on line 3-3, Fig. 2, with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the locking bar in unlocked position; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View thereof on a reduced scale.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The sheet metal filing drawer indicated generally at l in Fig. 1 is of conventional construction and includes a front end 8 on which a pull handle 9 is mounted and a rear end Ill. The front and rear ends 8 and H) are attached as" by spot welding, to sidewalls II and a bottom wall II which may be integral with the side walls as shown in Fig. 2. Preferably the height of the side walls I l is substantially less than that of the ends 8 and It, as shown. The top edges of the side walls H are provided with inwardly downturned lip flanges I3 forming an inner hem extending longitudinally of the side walls, and the flanges l3 are spaced slightly inwardly of the side walls I I and have rounded top edge portions I4 connecting them to the side walls. This spacing provides downwardly open longitudinally extending grooves [5 along the top portions of the side walls.

The filing drawer construction thus far dea scribed is conventional and per se forms no part of the present invention.

The improved follower block of the present invention includes a plate Hi, sometimes called the center plate, which is adapted to fit between the side walls ll of the drawer and extend transversely thereof, as best shown in Fig. 5. This plate preferably has a flat front surface for abutting the rear side or sheet of a pack of cards or papers such as indicated at P in Fig. 1. The upper edge of the plate may have a rearwardly extending horizontal flange H, and the lower edge may have a similar rearwardly extending horizontal flange I8, for stiffening the plate.

Preferably the ends of the plate I 6 are provided along their upper portions with wings 20, which may be turned rearwardly at right angles from the plate. The wings 20 may have at their lower edges outwardly turned abutment flanges 2! at right angles thereto, and the flanges 2| are adapted to rest on the top portions [4 of the lip flangesl3, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Preferably, when the abutment flanges 2! are resting on the lip flanges 13, the bottom flange I8 is spaced above the bottom floor of the filing drawer.

The novel means for positively locking the follower block in any desired position longitudinally of the drawer includes a locking bar 22 extending along the plate i6 preferably on its rear side and parallel with the plate. The bar 22 is axially rotatably mounted on the plate preferably by means of a pair of U-shaped mounting brackets 23 having flat attaching flanges 22 spot welded to the plate l6. Between the brackets 23 the locking bar 22 is preferably provided with a handle loop 25 extending radially from the bar.

The locking bar 22 is provided at its outer ends with angular flattened cam portions 26 extending substantially at right angles to the bar and under the lip flanges l3 into the slots 15, when the follower is in position between the side walls. The outer edges 27 of the cam portions 2% are preferably curved for frictionally engaging the top portions M of the lip flanges I?- as the locking bar 22 is rotated to the locked position of Fig. 3. viously, the cam members 26 may be integral with the bar 22, as shown, or may be separate pieces attached thereto as by welding.

As shown in Fig. l, a slight partial clockwise rotation of the handle 25 from the position of Fig. 3 will release or unlock the earns 26, so that the follower may be moved to any desired position longitudinally within the drawer. Further clockwise rotation of the handle will release the cams from the lip flanges so that follower may be removed from the drawer.

When the cam members 26 are in the locked position of Fig. 3, it will be seen that any rearward pressure exerted on the plate Iii will tend to lock the follower more tightly, because such pressure has the effect of clamping the top portions 14 more tightly against the cam edges 27. Moreover, since the abutment flanges 2i resting on the top lip flanges are flat, and do not move with respect to the lip flanges when the cams 26 are being engaged thereunder, there is no tendency for the top exterior surfaces of the lip flanges to become scratched or the paint scraped therefrom.

The improved follower is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely easy to 0perate for positively locking a follower in any desired position along the entire length of the drawer.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for de scriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention, the construction, the operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claim.

We claim:

In combination with a rectangular sheet metal filing drawer having spaced upstanding side walls formed integrally with a bottom wall and extending between front and rear ends, the top of each side wall being formed with a longitudinally extending inwardly and downwardly rounded edge portion terminating in a longitudinally extending downwardly directed flange spaced from and parallel to the side wall forming a downwardly opening groove therebetween, a file follower block comprising a center plate portion terminating at its upper portion in rearwardly turned wings located above said side walls with the center plate portion extending transversely of the drawer above and below said side walls, the lower edges of the wings being turned outwardly to form flat flanges resting on the side wall rounded top edge portions and extending rearward from the center plate portion, a locking bar pivotally mounted transversely of the center plate having an intermediate handle portion and being provided at its ends with upstanding flat cam portions extending into said grooves, and the upper edges of said flat cam portions being curved to engage under the rounded top edge portions and clamp the same against the flat wing flanges when the locking bar is rotated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 202,732 Lees Apr. 23, 1878 487,230 Ohmer Nov. 29, 1892 1,036,515 Ohnstrand Aug. 20, 191 1,265,081 Hatfield May 7, 191 1,659,620 Vignos Feb. 11, 19 8 2,043,323 Gourley et a1. June 9, 19 6 2,585,612 Abrahamson Feb. 12, 1952 

